The truth is that any person who is sexually active, or who comes into contact with AIDS-infected blood can get the disease. AIDS not only affects us, but also our friends, family, and the society we live in.

If you have AIDS or know someone who does, and this affects your life in some way, share your experiences. Share what these experiences have taught you, and help others understand those living with this terrible disease whom no one seems to like to talk about.

Feel free to write your experiences the way you wish. You can use your own ideas, or use the questions below as a guide. In the event you use a question, you should only answer that question. You may also answer several questions in separate entries and allow us to choose the best one for the book. Whatever your preference, only a maximum of 2,000 characters will be published.

Click on the question you wish to answer:

Have you lost a loved one to AIDS? Explain. Have you ever feared that you had contracted AIDS? Why or why not? How did you or someone you know contract AIDS? What do you know about someone who contracted AIDS? When and how did you find out that you or someone close to you had AIDS? What was the first thing that crossed your mind when you found out? What have you done to fight the disease? What has been your most positive experience in fighting the disease? What have you learned from fighting the disease? What has been the most difficult thing for you during treatment? Who helped you view life with optimism and move on? What would you recommend to people who are also battling AIDS? What message would you like to send to those who do not know about AIDS? In what ways to you think AIDS could be prevented? How did you live before you contracted AIDS and how do you plan on living now? Why is AIDS something sad for you to talk about? In your opinion, what are the biggest myths about AIDS? Are you afraid to get close to a person with AIDS? Why or why not? How do people treat you when they find out you have AIDS? How does AIDS affect your self-esteem? Which drugs or treatments have helped you, and which haven't? What is your biggest complaint about the care you are receiving? What is one thing you feel that people do not know about AIDS? What do you feel has saved your life and has allowed you to tell your story today? I want to tell my story my way.

Your story or anecdote will be published under a pseudonym or your real name followed by your age, city, state or province, and country in parentheses. Example: Louis Davis (age 37, San Diego, California, USA). It is your choice to use your name or not. However, for administrative purposes, you will need to give contact information. This information is kept confidential. This information will not be published or shared with anyone under any circumstance, unless you instruct us otherwise in writing. See Participation Requirements for more information.

If you have yet to send your experiences to 100 Plus TRUE STORIES: AIDS, click here.